Best EVER April Fools’ Day pranks

April Fools' Day - it's the best date of the year! For 12 hours it is socially acceptable to play jokes on everyone you know. Or don't know.

In honour of this wonderful excuse to be mischievous, we've rounded up our favourite japes of all time. From TV channels fooling entire nations to friends playing harmless pranks on each other, there are some crackers here.

Check out our pick of the best below - but don't go getting any ideas now...

Spaghetti grows on trees

On April 1st, 1957, the rascals at Panorama aired a spoof broadcast item about a bumper spaghetti harvest in southern Switzerland. The hoax news spread quickly and thousands of people were contacting the BBC wanting to know how to grow their very own spaghetti tree.

The washing of the white lions

In 1848 hundreds of hoax admission tickets inviting people to ‘the annual ceremony of washing the white lions’ at the Tower of London, April 1st, were circulated. Thousands gathered from miles around to see these creatures being scrubbed, only to find confused Beefeaters trying to shoo the crowds away. This joke took place again several times #PreGoogleDarkDays. No one ever owned up.

When stockings fooled Sweden

There was only one black and white TV channel in Sweden, 1962. So when the station’s 'technical expert’ revealed a special way to view their televisions in colour on April 1st, the country listened eagerly. All they had to do was 'cut open a pair of stockings and tape them over their screens'. A nation-load of tights were quickly destroyed after thousands of enthusiastic Swedes fell for the hoax.

A step on from cling film on the toilet seat

Forget the old 'cling film on the toilet seat' trick - this one is much funnier. This groups of friends think it will be pretty funny if they wrap their mate's car in cling film. And it is pretty funny. They got that right.

Chewbacca calling

This is brilliant! Someone put their friend's phone number on this poster and sat back as they witnessed their friend receiving numerous growling calls from budding Chewie impersonators. We wonder if they every owned up?

Daddy, can I have an ipad?

Any parent who has been asked this question must be looking at this inspired prank and thining, GENIUS. But could you really bear to witness those little faces of disappointment? No, don't be such a meany.

For everything you need to create the ultimate April Fools' Day prank head online, or pop into your local Asda store